Crane bucket equipment

ABSTRACT

A holder with a capacity for two crane buckets holds one of these buckets for filling while the other is being emptied. On return of the emptied bucket to the holder a mechanism is equipped to detach the emptied bucket from the crane cable and to attach the filled bucket to the crane cable. The crane bucket is designed so that its weight operates hydraulic means for causing bottom opening and closing.

United States Patent 1191 Perry et al.

[ CRANE BUCKET EQUIPMENT [76] Inventors: William A. Perry, 270 CassandraBlvd., Apt. 409, Don Mills, Ontario; Raymond O. Jobst, 1476 TrotwoodAve., Mississauga, Ontario, both of Canada 221 Filed: Sept. 7, 1971 211Appl. No.: 178,005

[52] US. Cl 214/1 R, 141/284, 222/504, 294/1 10, 294/72 [51] Int. Cl.B676 3/34 [58] Field of Search 214/1 R, 1 Q, 38 CA; 294/110; 141/129,165, 250, 369

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 382,946 5/1888 Brown 214/38CA X 1451 Dec. 25, 1973 664,288 12/1900 Pratt 214/38 CA X 3,285,65011/1966 Dukes 294/110 R X 3,606,438 9/1971 Feczko 294/81 R X PrimaryExaminer-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Frank E. WernerAttorney-Waste" & Hanley [5 7] ABSTRACT A holder with a capacity for twocrane buckets holds one of these buckets for filling while the other isbeing emptied. On return of the emptied bucket to the holder a mechanismis equipped to detach the emptied bucket from the crane cable and toattach the filled bucket to the crane cable, The crane bucket isdesigned so that its weight operates hydraulic means for causing bottomopening and closing.

4 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PATENTEU HEB 251 SHEET 10F 6 FIG.1

Inventor RAYMOND O. JOBST WILLIAM A PERRY y PmENTEnnin-esms 3.780.880swam 20F 6 126 Inventor F168 RAYMOND o. JOBST b WILLIAM A. PERRY WMHRH/Mug IMENTED E 9 5 I975 m V m l I 3% RAYMOND o. JOBST F16 7 b WILLIAMPERRY PATENTED 97 3.780.880

SHEET '4 BF 6 Inventor JIATENTEDIJEMS 1975 3.780.880

SHEET 5 OF 6 FIG.13

FIG.14

RAYMOND O, JOBST WILLIAM A. PERRY PATENTEDUEBZS I975 SHEET 5 BF 6Inventor RAYMOND O. JQBST WILLIAM A. PERRY W aim 1 CRANE BUCKETEQUIPMENT This invention relates to a holder for crane buckets of thetype usually used in the supply of concrete to construction sites,wherein the invention provides a holder for supporting a bucket whichallows the lowering of an empty bucket by the crane cable for filling;and said support means supports at an adjacent location, a bucket whichhas been already filled, and the invention provides automatic means fordisconnecting the crane cable from the bucket just lowered andconnecting the same crane cable to the filled bucket so that no time islost of the crane operators time through manual interchange of buckets.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustrating the function of a holder inaccord with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the cable-bucket connection;

FIG. 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of the bucket connection;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; I

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the cable-bucket connection and disconnectionmechanism at a different stage of the operating cycle from FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of this mechanism; FIG. 7 shows a section alongthe lines 77 of FIG.

FIGS. 8 11 show schematically the operation of the connect-disconnectmeans between the bucket and the crane cable;

FIG. 12 14 show the operation of the hydraulic circuit; and

FIG. 15 shows a chute for filling the bucket.

In the drawings the bucket support means is a framework supportedplatform or table having twin apertures, each adapted to hold a cranebucket 10. Crane bucket for use with the invention, resemblesconventional buckets, differing in particular in their crane cableattachment means, their means for achieving orientation about a verticalaxis.

It is preferable if the bucket be specially designed for the developmentwith dumping or discharging automatically rather than manually and abucket so designed is illustrated in FIG. 3. The bucket is preferablydesigned to be a surface of revolution about its intended vertical axisand provided with a conical lower extent 12 and a cylindrical upperextent 14 having diametrically opposed rollers on opposite sides thereofexterior of the bucket and mounted on horizontal axes, and an arm 16pivotally connected at 19 to the top of the bucket at one end by meanshereafter described and having spaced cars 17 with aligned apertures atthe other, the arm being pivoted along an axis perpendicular to theintended vertical axis of the bucket and the alignment axis of the earaperture being parallel to the arm pivotal axis. The details of theconnection of the bucket arm 16 to the bucket 10 will be discussed inconnection with the preferred bottom-opening bucket design. The upperend of the bucket is provided with an outwardly extending peripheralflange 22 on which the weight of the bucket may be supported. Returningto FIG. 1, it will be seen that the bucket support means includes anupper plate 19 defining a pair of openings being bucket locations anddimensioned to receive the conical and lower cylindrical portions 12 and14 therein but to support on the edges of an opening the outwardlyextending flanges 22 ofthe bucket. The bucket support means defines acylindrical wall 26 about the position of each bucket resting asdescribed in the bucket location, and on each such wall 26 is anupwardly facing sloping track 28, designed to form a track for rollers15 which are located on diametrically opposed locations on the outsideof each wall of the bucket. The track 28 is designed to ensure, thatwhatever orientation the bucket is dropped into the aperture, the tworollers follow diametrically opposed sectors of the track until therollers come to rest in the opposed depressions 29 therein. In thepreferred embodiment of the invention the track 28, comprises twoportions, each semi-circular in plan view and each meeting the opposedtrack at higher ends and each sloping to a lowest point intermediate itshigh ends where the depressions 29 are shaped to form sockets for thebucket rollers. The depressions 29 in the bucket aperture track are, ofcourse, diametrically opposed.

Both bucket apertures are similarly designed and, in the preferredembodiment, as best shown in FIG. 3 and 5-8, the orientation of thebucket 10, created by the sloping tracks 28 are such that the linejoining the apertures in the ears 17 of one arm 14 are parallel to theaperture in the ears 17 of the other arm 14 so that a coupling means mayin one sliding motion, insert a pin 31 for coupling through one set ofcar 17 apertures, and withdraw the pin 31 for coupling from the otherset of ear 17 apertures. Pairs of supports (here supports on each sideof the pivot 19 are designed to support the arms 14 at a desired heightfor such coupling (here equal heights) when the arms 14 are unsupportedby a crane cable.

In the invention, a coupling bracket 35 replaces the crane hook as themeans for attachment to the bucket 10, thus as far as the invention isconcerned, the hook is not essential as the bracket may be attached tothe cable. However, since the hook will usually be present for otherpurposes it is, in the preferred embodiment, used as the coupling meansbetween the crane cable and the cable bracket. Thus the crane hook 37 ishooked through an aperture 39 in a bracket 35 designed to extendlongitudinally downwardly from the hook and which has a link 36pivotally mounted thereon with an aperture 38 in each end and theapertures 38 are spaced so that they may simultaneously align with thetwo pairs of apertures in the respective bucket arms 14 when the bucketarms 14 are both resting on supports 30 as best shown in FIG. 5 and 10.Although details of the connections of the bucket arms 14 will bediscussed hereafter it should be here noted that the shank 40 to whichthe bucket arm is attached, is provided with a vertical slot 42 designedto allow the pivot point 19 of the bucket arm 14 to always move to apoint wherein the bucket arms are maintained aligned by the supports 30regardless of the height of the shank 40. When the attitude of thebucket 10 and the cable is such that the cable coupling bracket 35 hangsvertically there are provided hanging downwardly from the bracketarcuate plates 44 movable therewith on each side of the bracket saidplates 44 being shaped to be convex downwardly.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a pin 31 is provided dimensioned to beinserted through a pair of bucket arm car 17 apertures and through theaperture 38 in the coupling link located therebetween. The pin 31 isarranged to project outwardly at each end beyond the bucket link earmembers and the outwardly projecting portions are provided withcircumferential grooves 46.

The bucket support means between the two apertures, is provided with aslide 48 which may be mechanically, electrically, hydraulically, orotherwise actuable by a micro-switch 50 which is located to be contactedby the cable bracket plates 44 at the lowest point of lowering the cableand coupling means. The slide 48 is actuable to move between twolimiting positions on the bucket holder in a relative movement directionparallel to the lines along which a pin 31 would be longitudinallyinserted in aligned apertures. On the slide 48 are mounted, projectingfrom opposite sides, forks 52 which are shaped to have the inside edgesof spaced tines fit in one of the circumferential grooves 46 of a pin 31and hence to receive and support a pin 31 moved downwardly thereintowith the grooves receiving the tines so that the forks support the pin.The pins 31 outside of each of the grooves 46 are provided with taperingends to assist entrance of the pin 31 into the aligned apertures.

(Please note that the position of the pins and slide shown in FIGS. 5-7differs from that shown in FIG. 1, in that relative to FIG. 1, the slide48 has moved to the opposite position hence the pin 31 of FIG. 1 has, inFIG. 5, been inserted in linkage apertures and a pin 31 not shown inFIG. 1, is shown in FIG. 5 as just withdrawn from linkage apertures.)Furthermore it will be noted that FIG. 1 of the drawings corresponds tothe position of the buckets in FIG. 8 of the schematics and FIG. 10 ofthe schematics corresponds to the state of operation shown in moredetail in FIGS. 5-7.

The limiting positions of slide 48 movement are selected so that in onelimiting position, one pin 31 is adapted to project through the alignedbucket arm 14 and coupling link 36 apertures with its grooves exposed ina predetermined location on each side of the bucket arm cars, and withthe other pin 31 held by the other fork withdrawn clear of the aperturesin the other bucket arm. (This position is best shown in FIG. 5).

In the other limiting position of the slide 48, the position of the pins31 is reversed, and the pin 31 removed from the bucket arm 16 in FIG. 5is coupling the arm 16 to a cable link 36, the pin 31 passing through abucket arm and a cable link 36 in FIG. 5 is withdrawn to uncouple thesemembers.

The movement from one limiting position to the other is, as previouslynoted, caused when one of the arcuate plates 44 of the crane cablebracket 35 strikes the micro-switch 50. A cylinder 53 which may bepneumatic or hydraulic, is shown to schematically represent theactuating means, which will move the slide 48 from one position to theother. Both micro-switch actuated control system and the power devicefor operating the slide 48 are omitted since these, in many forms andalternatives are available to those skilled in the art. The micro-switch50 will be connected to a control circuit arranged so that thedepression of the micro-switch 50 by the arcuate plate 44 causesmovement of the slide 50 to the opposite limiting position to the one itis in, but to remain in the states to which it has been switched (eventhough the micro-switch 48 remains depressed) until the micro-switch 48is again depressed by a succeeding lowering of the plate 44.

As shown, the inside edges of the fork 52 tines are adapted to ride inone of the grooves 46 and to suspend the pin 31 in this way but to allowthe withdrawal of the pin upwardly from the forks 52 and insertion ofthe pin downwardly into the forks. It will be noted that the downwardlyextending arcuate plates 44 on the cable coupling means is (when abucket is suspended from a cable so that the coupling link, as well asthe cable bracket 35, is vertical) received in the pin groove 46 to holdthe pin against longitudinal movement out of its coupling position allas shown in FIG. 1 and 2.

The operation of the bucket supporting part of the invention is asfollows: a bucket 10 presumably empty after dumping at another location,is attached to the cable and hanging straight downward therefrom, asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, 8 with the cable bracket 35 vertical (as it is inmost situations) but with the cable link 36 and the bucket arm 16coupled thereto, also disposed vertically. The bucket 10 just described,is being lowered into one of the holder locations while in the otherholder location, there is a bucket filled from chute 41 (fillingmaterial not shown) resting in the holder with its bucket 10 couplinglink 16 resting directed toward the other bucket holding aperture. Acoupling pin 31 is contained in the forks 52 aligned with the aperturesin ears 17 corresponding to the filled bucket. As the crane attachedbucket is lowered into position into the empty opening, the track 28acting on rollers 15 of the just lowered bucket, acts to place thebucket in the desired orientation, and the crane operator will controlthe crane cable location, to ensure that the bucket coupling arm 16 andthe crane cable coupling link 36 fall toward the other bucket locationas the cable continues to be lowered. (See FIG. 9). When the empty(i.e., just lowered) bucket coupling arm 16 reaches its lower-mostposition as defined by a pair of supports 30, the crane cable link 36rotates until a horizontal position is reached as the crane operatorcontinues to lower the cable. When the crane cable link is horizontallydisposed, the link aperture is aligned with the filled bucket arm 16 caraperture. Also as the bucket arm and link 36 move toward an orientationperpendicular to the bracket 35, the arcuate plates 44 move out of thegrooves 46 in the pin 31 (of the justlowered and empty bucket) in whichthey have been riding to allow later removal of the pin 31. This pin 31comes to rest in the fork, which is located at one limiting position,receiving in its grooves 46 the inside edges of tines of the fork 52 sothat the fork 52 will withdraw the pin 31 when the fork 52 is moved bythe slide 48 to the other limiting position. When the cable couplinglink 36 and the bucket arm 16 are horizontal the still downwardlyextending arcuate plates 44 strike a microswitch 50 actuating the slide48 actuating mechanism by means, not shown but'well known to thoseskilled in the art, and movement of the slide causes the fork 52 towithdraw the pin 31 linking the empty and just lowered bucket from itsconnection with one end of the cable link and the other fork 52 toinsert the other pin 31 contained in its tines in the then alignedapertures of the other end of the cable link 36 and the filled bucketcoupling arm 16.

When the cable is now raised, the cable link is rotated so that its newbucket arm-link connection extends downwardly, and the filled bucket arm16 rotates upwardly, both link member 36 and arm member 16 pivoting sothat the full bucket arm and the cable link are vertically extending insimilar orientation to that shown in FIG. 2, and as shown in FIG. 8.When the cable link 36 assumes a vertical position, the downwardlyextending arcuate plates 44 enter the grooves 46 at each end of thecoupling pins 31 so that the coupling pin 31 is held in positioncoupling the bucket arm 16 to the crank link 36. The empty and justlowered bucket in the bucket support means is now available for filling.

It will be obvious, although not shown, that the micro-switch 50 whichdisconnected one bucket and connected the other may be used to causeautomatic switching of the cement feeding chute to switch a chute suchas the one shown from a feed position over the now full bucket to oneover the now empty bucket, without the necessity of performing suchchange manually.

FIG. shows a chute 41 operable between two positions by a cylinder 43 toalternate between the two bucket locations, as shown in FIG. 1. Asalready stated, such an arrangement may, like the slide, be controlledby the micro-switch 50.

There are two principal aspects of the bucket described in the specificembodiment.

In one aspect of the bucket, this must be designed for cooperation withthe bucket holder previously described. Thus the bucket must be designedto rest on the holder, must be designed to cooperate with the holder toassume a predetermined orientation when lowered to rest therein and mustbe provided with coupling means for coupling to the crane cable.

In a second aspect, there is preferably provided a bucket suitable foruse with the bucket holder and satisfying the above criteria but, inaddition, providing a bucket with or without the above cooperatingaspects which allow the bucket bottom to be conveniently opened andclosed for dumping therethrough, and uses hydraulic instead of manualpower for this purpose (in distinction from the present bottom openingbuckets) but does not require an exterior power source.

In the first aspect above discussed, the bucket is exteriorly shaped tobe easily received in the holder. In the present form the shaping of thebucket is as a surface of revolution open at the top, normally closed atthe bottom, with side walls cylindrical at the upper portion and withside walls forming a tapering cone from that portion downwardly to thebottom of the bucket.

As previously explained, cooperating means are required between theholder and the bucket to provide for coupling to the crane cable and inthis aspect, the holder provides the tracks 28 and to complement thesetracks the bucket is provided with diametrically opposed rollers 15which ride on the track and carry the bucket to the correct orientation.It will be obvious that there are alternative means of providing throughcooperation of the bucket and the holder, that the bucket shall arriveat the correct orientation and that this may involve sliding of thebucket on the surface without rollers and may involve other sorts ofguideways and keying all in accord with techniques, well known to thoseskilled in the art, to achieve the correct orientation.

The bucket is, as already described, provided with suspension means,designed with regard to the orientation achieved by the rollers on theguideways, to provide that when a lowered bucket has come to rest in theholder, in the proper location and orientation, it is uncoupled from thecrane cable and another bucket already resting in the holder, coupledthereto.

The bucket is preferably provided with bottom opening means, since thisis most suitable for cooperation with the bucket holder just described.

There is preferably provided a bottom opening bucket hydraulicallyactuated as hereinafter described. The principal of the operation ofhydraulically actuated opening for a suspended container, hereindiscussed, is not limited to crane buckets, but it is felt, may beapplied to any suspended container.

The schematic representation of FIGS. 12-14 may render the'principle ofthe bottom opening bucket more understandable. The schematics may berelated to FIG. 3 with the cable connectable through the apparatusalready described (arm 16 and shank 40) to the piston 1 10 of actuatingcylinder 100. The actuating cylinder is connected as indicated in FIGS.3 and l to the frame of the crane bucket. The bottom closure cone 134for the bucket, is connected to the piston 132, while the cylinder 130is connected to the frame of the bucket. The cylinders 130 and 100 andthe lines connecting them will be filled with hydraulic fluid. As shownin the drawings, a pair of lines 120 and 122 connect the opposite sideof the actuating cylinder 100 to a control valve 124. The control valve124 is connected to an actuating device, here a hydraulic cylinder 130,through a pair of lines 126 and 128. As shown, with hydraulic cylinder100 attached to the bucket and the piston attached to the crane cable,the weight of the bucket on the cable tends to cause flow outward fromthe cylinder 100 along line above the piston and flow inward to thecylinder along line 122 below the piston. The effect of this tendency toflow is controlled by the control valve 124 operable, in the position ofFIG. 12 to direct hydraulic fluid to close the bucket by sending fluidalong line 126 toward cylinder and receiving fluid along line 128 fromcylinder 130; and in the position of FIG. 13 to open the bucket byreversing the connection between lines 120 and 122 on the one hand andlines 126 and 128 on the other hand and; in the position as shown inFIG. 14, to disconnect the actuating cylinder 100 from the actuablecylinder 130 and hence to prevent flow in lines 120 and 122. The one-wayvalves in lines 120 and 122 labelled 131 and 132 respectively, allowflow only outwardly from cylinder 100 in line 120 and toward thecylinder in line 122. A line 130 also connects the upper side of theactuating cylinder 100 with the lower side and this is provided with aone-way valve 133 allowing flow only from the lower side of the cylinder100 to the upper.

In the operation of suspending the bucket the location of these membersis shown in FIG. 12. Thus the bottom is closed and flow is prevented inlines 120 and 122 because the tendency for flow in these lines, in thedirection indicated by the arrows, holds closed the cone 134 against thecone 12 since the piston is moved to its lowest position as set bycontact of the cones l2 and 134.

In the lifting and lowering of the bucket into the holder, (with thebucket arm suspended from the cable in distinction to FIG. 3) the bottom134 will thus be maintained closed for filling and carrying concrete.When, with the bucket suspended by the cable, it is desired to dump thebucket, then the valve is shifted to the position of FIG. 13 so that theweight of the bucket pulls the piston 110 upward relative to thecylinder 100, the piston directs hydraulic fluid along the upper line120 into the lower end of the actuable cylinder 130 to raise theactuating piston 132 while fluid flows out of the upper end of cylinderback to the actuating piston along lines 126, valve 124 and line 122.The raising of the actuating cylinder 132 raises the cone 134 relativeto the cone 12 opening the bottom of the bucket to dump the load. Whenthe load has been dumped in this manner and it is desired to close thebucket, the manual control is set to set the valve in the position ofFIG. 12. The flow of fluid from the upper end of the actuating cylinder100 under the weight of the bucket is still actuated by the weight ofthe bucket, to pump hydraulic fluid through line 120, the control valve124 and to the upper end of the actuable cylinder 130 to lower thepiston l32and the closure member 134 until it closes the bottom of thebucket by contacting cone l2 and at the same time stopping hydraulicflow. During closing of the bucket and lowering of the piston 132,return flow from the actuable cylinder 130 takes place through line 128and line 122.

The piston 100 is returned to its lowest position under the weight ofthe rod 40 and the piston 1 when the piston is not suspended but isresting in the bucket holder. In this position, the hydraulic operationis, as is demonstrated in FIG. 14. In this position the weight of therod 40 and piston 132 will tend to move the piston 110 downwardly in thecylinder 100. In the preferred embodiment, positive force is added tothe gravitational by providing a compression spring 111 bearingdownwardly on a shoulder movable with rod 40 and upwardly on a shoulderattached to the bucket frame and designed to bias rod 40 and piston 110downwardly relative to bucket 10 and cylinder 100. (In the preferredembodiment the rod 40 is connected to the actual piston rod of piston110 through a pivot 113 to prevent transmission of the suspensionstresses from rod 40 to the piston rod and downward stresses between therod 40 and the piston rod are effectively transmitted through the pivot113.) With piston 110 moving downwardly relative to cylinder 100 fluidis forced outwardly through line 122 and drawn inwardly along line 120.Since the outward flow along line 122 is blocked by valve 132 and inwardflow along line 120 cannot take place through valve 131, the flow takesplace from the lower to the upper side of the piston along line 122,valve 133, line 130 and line 120. The piston 110 is therefore moveddownwardly in its cylinder and the fluid fills the space thereabove,ready to actuate the opening and closing of the bottom of the bucketwhen the cylinder is again suspended. If the piston 110 cannot besufficiently lowered to actuate these operations during the intervals inwhich the bucket is supported in the holder, this interval may belengthened from time to time on the bucket set on another surface suffi'ciently long to sufficiently lower the piston 132 in the cylinder 130.

Some generalizing aspects of the opening and closing apparatus should benoted. The principle is a hydraulic means for using the weight of asuspended article to provide the hydraulic pressure for opening andclosing the suspended container. It is noted, therefore, that it is notnecessary to the invention that the container be a cement bucketalthough the invention is admirably suited for this purpose.

It is further noted that the invention is not limited to the type ofbottom opening using the member 134 shown, since the hydraulic forcedeveloped by the suspended container may be used to provide otheropening and closure means. Such other opening and closure means couldinclude using the hydraulic force developed by a suspended container tomove a horizontal slide for a bottom opening container (as now performedmanually) or using the hydraulic force developed for a side opening forthe container.

I claim:

1. Means for loading crane buckets comprising:

a holder having two adjacent locations for a crane bucket,

each of said locations being arranged and designed to place a bucketlowered thereinto in a predetermined orientation relative to the otherlocation,

coupling means for connecting a bucket in either of such locations to acrane cable for suspension of the bucket by the cable including anapertured arm, pivotally connected to said bucket;

said bucket and coupling means being arranged and designed to locate theaperture in said arm in a predetermined location and orientationrelative to said holder when the attached bucket is in one of saidpredetermined orientations;

a link pivotally connected to said cable and having an aperture on eachside of said pivotal connection, each aperture being designed foralignment with an arm aperture, for pivotal coupling thereto by aconnecting pin, said pivotal connection to said cable being arranged tobe about an axis parallel to the pivotal axis created by said connectingpin;

said coupling means and holder being arranged and designed, when abucket is located in one of said locations, to locate said link whenconnected to one of said arms by a pin connected through the aperture ofsaid arm and an aperture of said link so that the other aperture of saidlink is aligned with the aperture of a bucket arm located at said otherlocation.

2. Means, in combination with the apparatus of claim 1, responsive tothe lowering of a bucket into one of said locations and the continuinglowering of the crane cable, for causing alignment of the link aperture,opposite the one joined by a pin to the arm of the lowered bucket in oneof said locations, with the aperture in the arm of a bucket in theopposite location, means for inserting a pin connecting the link withthe arm of the bucket in the other location while removing the pinconnecting the lowered bucket arm with said link.

3. A link for attachment to a cable intermediate the ends of said linkfor coupling therewith;

an aperture in said link on each side of its location for attachment tosuch cable,

a pair of crane buckets,

each bucket being provided with an arm having an aperture for alignmentwith an aperture of said crane cable link, said link and arm aperturesbeing designed so that when aligned, a pin may be inserted through saidaligned apertures of an arm and a link to couple said bucket arm to saidcrane cable link,

means for supporting two of said buckets at adjacent locations, eachsupport means being arranged to dispose a bucket, lowered into one ofsaid locations by said crane cable, in a predetermined orientationrelative to the other location,

said bucket arms each being arranged and designed in cooperation withsaid support means to assume a predetermined orientation relative to theother bucket location, when said bucket is resting in said holder insaid predetermined orientation;

means responsive to the location of a bucket in said holder and thelocation of said arm in such predetermined orientation, to remove thepin joining said arm to the coupling link on the bucket just lowered,and to insert a pin to join said cable link to the arm on a bucket inthe other position to that of the bucket just lowered.

4. A holder having two bucket locations each adapted to hold a cranebucket in a predetermined orientation, a coupling arm pivotallyconnected at one end to said bucket and the other end, being connectibleto a crane cable, said predetermined orientation locating said bucket sothat said coupling arm pivotally connected to a bucket at one of saidlocations, extends in a predetermined direction when unsupported; meansresponsive to an arm so extending with a crane cable attached theretofor disconnecting such cable from said arm and connecting said cable toan arm similarly extending from a bucket in the other location whereinthe arms of buckets in said respective orientations extend toward oneanother with said buckets in said predetermined orientation and provideapertures oriented to allow the insertion of a pin in one bucket armaperture and the withdrawal of a pin from the other bucket arm aperturein parallel motions and spaced a predetermined amount,

wherein said crane cable is provided with a link having an aperture ateach end, and pivotally mounted relative to said crane cable thereonintermediate said apertures, said; link being dimensioned so that itsapertures will simultaneously register with the apertures of arms ofbuckets in said two locations and will reach such position when a bucketis lowered into position on a crane cable, with the link apertureslinked by a pin to the lowered bucket arm aperture and the cable loweredthereafter until the cable link has its respective apertures alignedwith the two arm apertures, means responsive to said alignment of saidrespective apertures, to remove the pin connecting the cable link to thearm of the lowered bucket and insert the pin in the other pair oflink-arm aligned apertures.

1. Means for loading crane buckets comprising: a holder having twoadjacent locations for a crane bucket, each of said locations beingarranged and designed to place a bucket lowered thereinto in apredetermined orientation relative to the other location, coupling meansfor connecting a bucket in either of such locations to a crane cable forsuspension of the bucket by the cable including an apertured arm,pivotally connected to said bucket; said bucket and coupling means beingarranged and designed to locate the aperture in said arm in apredetermined location and orientation relative to said holder when theattached bucket is in one of said predetermined orientations; a linkpivotally connected to said cable and having an aperture on each side ofsaid pivotal connection, each aperture being designed for alignment withan arm aperture, for pivotal coupling thereto by a connecting pin, saidpivotal connection to said cable being arranged to be about an axisparallel to the pivotal axis created by said connecting pin; saidcoupling means and holder being arranged and designed, when a bucket islocated in one of said locations, to locate said link when connected toone of said arms by a pin connected through the aperture of said arm andan aperture of said link so that the other aperture of said link isaligned with the aperture of a bucket arm located at said otherlocation.
 2. Means, in combination with the apparatus of claim 1,responsive to the lowering of a bucket into one of said locations andthe continuing lowering of the crane cable, for causing alignment of thelink aperture, opposite the one joined by a pin to the arm of thelowered bucket in one of said locations, with the aperture in the arm ofa bucket in the opposite location, means for inserting a pin connectingthe link with the arm of the bucket in the other location while removingthe pin connecting the lowered bucket arm with said link.
 3. A link forattachment to a cable intermediate the ends of said link for couplingtherewith; an aperture in said link on each side of its location forattachment to such cable, a pair of crane buckets, each bucket beingprovided with an arm having an aperture for alignment wIth an apertureof said crane cable link, said link and arm apertures being designed sothat when aligned, a pin may be inserted through said aligned aperturesof an arm and a link to couple said bucket arm to said crane cable link,means for supporting two of said buckets at adjacent locations, eachsupport means being arranged to dispose a bucket, lowered into one ofsaid locations by said crane cable, in a predetermined orientationrelative to the other location, said bucket arms each being arranged anddesigned in cooperation with said support means to assume apredetermined orientation relative to the other bucket location, whensaid bucket is resting in said holder in said predetermined orientation;means responsive to the location of a bucket in said holder and thelocation of said arm in such predetermined orientation, to remove thepin joining said arm to the coupling link on the bucket just lowered,and to insert a pin to join said cable link to the arm on a bucket inthe other position to that of the bucket just lowered.
 4. A holderhaving two bucket locations each adapted to hold a crane bucket in apredetermined orientation, a coupling arm pivotally connected at one endto said bucket and the other end, being connectible to a crane cable,said predetermined orientation locating said bucket so that saidcoupling arm pivotally connected to a bucket at one of said locations,extends in a predetermined direction when unsupported; means responsiveto an arm so extending with a crane cable attached thereto fordisconnecting such cable from said arm and connecting said cable to anarm similarly extending from a bucket in the other location wherein thearms of buckets in said respective orientations extend toward oneanother with said buckets in said predetermined orientation and provideapertures oriented to allow the insertion of a pin in one bucket armaperture and the withdrawal of a pin from the other bucket arm aperturein parallel motions and spaced a predetermined amount, wherein saidcrane cable is provided with a link having an aperture at each end, andpivotally mounted relative to said crane cable thereon intermediate saidapertures, said link being dimensioned so that its apertures willsimultaneously register with the apertures of arms of buckets in saidtwo locations and will reach such position when a bucket is lowered intoposition on a crane cable, with the link apertures linked by a pin tothe lowered bucket arm aperture and the cable lowered thereafter untilthe cable link has its respective apertures aligned with the two armapertures, means responsive to said alignment of said respectiveapertures, to remove the pin connecting the cable link to the arm of thelowered bucket and insert the pin in the other pair of link-arm alignedapertures.